Firefighters extinguished a fire in the Willow Creek neighborhood of Centennial earlier today.

The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority responded at 11:38 a.m. Firefighters from three aerial trucks and two engine companies succeeded in getting the fire under control in 15 minutes.

The fire was started when the home’s owner was working on a car that ended up malfunctioning in the garage, a spokeswoman for the fire authority said. All three occupants of the home were able to evacuate safely.

The home sustained heavy heat and smoke damage even though the fire was mostly contained to the garage. No one was injured.

Christopher N. Osher is a reporter on the investigation team at The Denver Post who has covered law enforcement, judicial and regulatory issues for the news organization. He also has reported from war zones in Africa.

The University of Colorado leadership is grappling with how to address a nationwide nosedive in the favorability of higher education — particularly, among conservatives — as CU’s own representatives and decision-makers disagree on what’s behind the downturn.